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Tony Sanchez doubled twice Tuesday to raise is spring average to .464.

With Chris Stewart likely DL bound to start the year, Sanchez figures to open up as Francisco Cervelli's backup. It'd just be a short-term assignment, though, even if Sanchez keeps hitting. The Pirates like Stewart's defense too much to bail on him. Mar 24 - 4:25 PM

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said Tony Sanchez will get some work at first base and could serve as a right-handed bat off the bench next season.

When Russell Martin signed with the Blue Jays it seemed to open the door for the former top prospect, but the team doesn't appear to be confident he can handle the role of everyday catcher. He hasn't given them much reason for optimism, as Sanchez has hit just .252/.295/.378 in 135 at-bats over two major league seasons. The club will likely go with newly acquired Francisco Cervelli behind the plate instead. Sat, Dec 13, 2014 04:23:00 PM

Sanchez had been struggling offensively and defensively, so Toros del Este sent him home early. It's common for teams in the DWL to cut ties with American players who don't perform well over small sample sizes, so this isn't a major red flag. But it will probably be called further evidence that the 26-year-old catcher is not ready for a bigger role in Pittsburgh. Russell Martin departed as a free agent this winter. Tue, Dec 9, 2014 10:47:00 AM

No word on why the Pirates changed their plans. Sanchez batted .267/.300/.360 with two home runs and 13 RBI over 80 plate appearances with the big club this season and could take on a bigger role in 2015 if Russell Martin signs elsewhere. Mon, Oct 27, 2014 05:48:00 PM

Depth Charts

Chris Stewart (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined for at least the next two weeks.

Which means he's in danger of opening the regular season on the disabled list. Stewart's hamstring injury was initially described as a minor tweak, but it's clearly more severe than that. The 33-year-old catcher hasn't appeared in a Grapefruit League game since last Monday. Tony Sanchez may get to serve as Francisco Cervelli's backup in the early going this season.

Jaff Decker told reporters Monday morning that his left calf is "feeling a lot better."

Decker tweaked the calf Sunday in a Grapefruit League game when his cleats got caught while he was leaving the batter's box. He had to be helped off the field, but this doesn't sound like a major injury.

Dr. James Andrews performed the procedure, which typically comes with a 12-15 month recovery timetable. Cumpton will miss the entire 2015 season and he's probably not going to be back to 100 percent by the beginning of the 2016 campaign. The 26-year-old right-hander had been fighting for a long relief job this spring in Pirates camp.